Anika Troeger
ASA 002
Section 3
Week 1: Fight the Tower
Women of color face many issues in society today, and this is especially prevalent in the workplace and academia. Many of my professors so far have been white and/or male. I have had teaching assistants that were women of color, but I have not had a professor who was a woman of color until taking this class. It’s very disheartening to not many professors who represent your demographic, because it makes one believe that they are not able to reach that level of success easily. However, it is not just a belief that women of color are unable to reach tenure just as easily as men of color, white men, or white women. As described in Kieu-Linh Valverde’s piece, “Fight the Tower”. Going through the stresses of applying for tenure - having to appeal despite being well-qualified, being harassed and bullied by fellow faculty members - caused Valverde to face horrible physical and mental repercussions. Applying for tenure should not have to come with going into a coma, but if you’re a woman of color, and in Valverde’s case also low-income and an refugee, it can.
This “tower” that Valverde refers to is the academic institution that is ruthless towards disadvantaged communities. She offers a solution to this ruthlessness, which is fighting back. Staying silent can only keep danger away for so long, and is just a way to hide from problems instead of solving them. I agree that fighting back really is the best solution, despite being one of the more difficult ones. Nevertheless, when being silent also results in pain and suffering, wouldn’t it be better to fight and make a change instead?
Question: When should you start to fight the institution?
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References:
Valverde, Kieu-Linh C., Fight the Tower: A Call to Action for Women of Color in Academia. (2013): 367-419. Print.
Race/Gender Group as a Percentage of All Associate Professors. Digital image. Diversity and the Ivory Ceiling. Inside Higher Ed, 26 June 2015. Web. 8 Apr. 2017.
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